Trip Overview
When: Mid-November 2020 (autumn)
Duration: 1 day
Travelers: Young mother with infant (first-time mom + baby + family)
Budget: ~400 RMB (~$58 USD) per person
Transportation: Self-driving from Weifang
Essential Foreigner Info
Getting There: Qingdao is easily accessible by train or flight. We drove from Weifang, which took about 2-3 hours. The drive is straightforward via highway.
Best Season: Late autumn offers mild weather—not cold yet, with sunny days perfect for beach activities.
Beach Tips: The beaches in Qingdao are public and free. Bring a small shovel for your kids—sand play is a major activity here. Note that winter temperatures can be chilly, so dress warmly.
Day 1: Our First Family Beach Trip
2020 was an unusual year. After spending 42 days in quarantine due to COVID-19, I finally got to take my newborn baby outside for some fresh air and sunshine. The pandemic had kept us indoors for months, and I was going slightly stir-crazy looking at the same four walls.
Finally, on a weekend in late autumn, with my family by my side, we spontaneously decided to take a road trip—the kind of spontaneous trip that becomes necessary when you've been locked inside for too long.
After some research on Ctrip, we settled on Qingdao (青岛) for beach activities, specifically wanting to see the sunrise, collect clams, and most importantly—our baby's first encounter with the ocean!
We chose the Blue Sea Hotel (蓝海大饭店) in Laoshan District (崂山区), about a 15-minute walk from the beach. The sea-view room was reasonably priced with convenient parking. The hotel even provided baby amenities including a bed rail and children's toys—a nice surprise!
We arrived at the hotel around 8:40 AM. The parking lot was spacious, and the security guard guided us in. Bellhops helped with our luggage, and when the staff saw we had a baby, they quickly arranged our room and even gave us a children's toiletries kit. The front desk clerk patiently introduced their restaurant options—enough to convince us to try their buffet!
Our room was on the 9th floor—quiet and peaceful. When I opened the curtains, there it was: the vast blue ocean waiting for us. Hey, big sea, here we come!
After a quick rest, we headed to the beach.
Qingdao in late autumn wasn't cold at all. The noon sun warmed our skin as we pushed the stroller. My little Amy (our baby) couldn't stop looking around—this was all so new to her!
The beach was lively with families, many parents bringing their children to play. At first, our baby didn't know how to use the small shovel and just used her hands to grab sand. Her dad patiently taught her, and soon she learned to dig with the shovel. Then she spotted a nearby little girl building sandcastles and immediately lost interest in her shovel, wanting to join in the castle-building fun!
So my daughter and I teamed up with that mother-daughter pair to build a castle together. Well, technically it became more of a sand mound—close enough!
After more than two hours of beach fun, everyone was hungry. Due to COVID concerns, we decided to skip the local restaurants and return to the hotel for their buffet—located on the 3rd floor with a good variety and clean environment. Not too crowded either.
We fed the baby first: some congee, knife-cut noodles, a piece of fish, and two types of fruit. Once she was full and playing with her dad, I dug into my feast: sashimi, hot pot, barbecue, and some desserts. Paired with fresh orange juice—truly a satisfying meal!
Back in our room, we found the hotel had prepared a bed rail and children's toys—how thoughtful! After a nice 1+ hour nap, our family headed to Ocean Polar World (海昌极地海洋世界), a 10+ minute drive away.
220 RMB (~$32 USD) per person for tickets—great value for seeing so many marine species we'd never encountered before. Little Amy was thrilled!
What a tiring but wonderful day! We finally fulfilled our pandemic-era dream of visiting the beach. That night, everyone slept soundly—probably from all that fresh ocean air. Our baby was a champ and didn't cry once!
The next morning was a bit chilly, so we skipped going out and instead enjoyed the sunrise view from our room—a beautiful moment. We had a hearty breakfast buffet and headed home.
Foreigner tip: Due to the season and our short 1-day itinerary, we couldn't fit in everything. If you have more time, stay longer—there's much more to explore in Qingdao, especially during warmer months!